Solar-powered irrigation for the UAE: UAE food security company Silal — part of Abu Dhabi investment company ADQ’s portfolio — signed a partnership agreement with Netherlands-based solar thermal desalination firm Desolenator to boost solar-powered irrigation, Wam reported on Saturday. The pilot project is funded by an AED 100 mn (c. USD 27 mn) research and development grant by ADQ, and aims to provide sustainable watering alternatives as well as cooling options for plantations in greenhouse settings, the news agency notes.

What is solar thermal desalination? The process involves the heating of seawater using energy sourced from solar panels in a bid to vaporize salts and transform it into potable water suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes, according to research published in ScienceDirect.

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The last phase of UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant is coming online: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has begun operational readiness procedures for the fourth and final unit of Abu Dhabi’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, Wam reported on Thursday. The testing phase is currently underway to showcase the unit’s readiness before receiving the licensing greenlight from the UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation to kick off operations. An expected timeline on the final leg of the project’s launch is not disclosed. The fourth phase is set to up the plant’s full production volume to 5.6 GW of clean energy once fully operational — some 25% of the UAE’s total energy needs. The third unit added 1.4 GW to the UAE grid back in February.

UAE moves forward on developing a carbon market: UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA) has established the UAE Carbon Alliance in a bid to develop standards and frameworks for carbon financing, Wam reported last week. The coalition will bring together carbon credit buyers and sellers, climate project developers, financial institutions, corporations, exchanges, and brokers in the UAE to increase knowledge about carbon markets and establish a framework for carbon markets. The alliance was launched in partnership with Singapore-based carbon trading exchange AirCarbon Exchange (ACX), First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company, and the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa).

REMEMBER- ACX said it was working with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) on launching the world’s first fully regulated carbon trading exchange to regulate carbon credits and offsets as emission instruments, according to a statement released in March 2022. Last year, Mubadala acquired an undisclosed stake of ACX.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• Oman is planning to auction seven new mining areas in the country which have a potential to include copper — critical to wind turbine and solar panel manufacturing — as well as chrome and other minerals. (Zawya)
• KSA’s Industry and Minerals Ministry signed a regulatory agreement establishing a mechanism for granting mining licenses and monitoring mining activities in two of the country’s reserves. (Saudi Press Agency)
• The UAE Food Bank plans to reduce food waste by 30% by 2027. (Statement)
• The UAE Energy and Infrastructure Ministry has signed an MoU with Etihad Water and Electricity to increase the number of EV charging stations in the Northern Emirates. (Twitter)